Friday, April 26, 2013

Halo
of the Damned

By

Dina Rae

BLURB:

A chain of advertising agencies, a new breed of humans, and a
fallen angel to worship... Andel Talistokov is known for his slick advertising
agencies across the globe. He is a fallen angel that uses advertising as a
weapon for Satan's work. His growing power emboldens him to break several of
Hell's Commandments. Furious with his arrogance, Satan commands him to return
to Hell after finding his own replacement. Yezidism, an ancient angel
worshiping religion, quietly expands throughout the West. Armaros appears as a
guest of honor during their ceremonies. He mates with young women to produce
nephilim, a mixed race of humans and angels. They are alone and unprepared for
their supernatural power. Joanna Easterhouse, a recovering drug addict, steps
out of prison shortly after her mother's fatal accident. She and her sister,
Kim, unravel their mother's secretive past. Intrigued, they learn their
bloodline is part of a celestial legacy. Both worlds collide. Halo of the Damned
is a horrifying tale that weaves research together with suspenseful twists and
turns.

EXCERPT:

The next day, Kim packed up her own drawing
of her mother’s carved wall, the scroll, and the piece of metal. Her excitement
put her in a giddy mood. Once she was parked and in front of Loyola’s entrance,
Sandra met her in the foyer and escorted her back to the Arts and Science
College. Sandra took Kim to their lounge and introduced her to six other
professors who were equally interested in seeing her finds. All of them
specialized in fields that had to do with the ancient world.

Kim began with unveiling her own copy of the
symbols she drew from her mother’s basement. “I appreciate all of your
attention. Can anyone tell me what this is, and even possibly what it means?
Each symbol was copied down in the order it was etched into the wall,” Kim
said.

One professor immediately took the paper and
made a copy. This made Kim uncomfortable. He asked, “Where did you find this?”

“Again, none of that matters,” Kim
defensively repeated. Her daughter’s omen chimed throughout her brain. The man
intuitively put up her defenses.

“Doctor Nrogbi’s English is somewhat limited.
He’s not trying to be pushy or rude,” Sandra explained.

“This is Angelic script, also known as
Adonite language, alphabet of the Ark, or even Enochian. It’s the first
written language of this world. Angels used it to communicate with God. The
first humans also used it before the Fall,” Doctor Nrogbi lectured.

“Before what fall?” Kim asked, very confused.
How could Maria have known all of this?

“Before Adam and Eve sinned. Before they were
kicked out of Eden. It pre-dates Hebrew, Sanskrit, Aramaic, and other ancient
languages. It’s very sophisticated and difficult to translate. These symbols
look like a key, invocation, or lyric. Let me get something off my bookshelf.”

While the doctor frantically flipped through
several of his books, other professors rattled off bits and pieces of their own
views concerning the script. Kim learned that Enoch didn’t name the
language, but his name was chosen for it thousands of years later because of
his communications inside of Heaven.

The professors spoke of John Dee, a famous
mathematician, cartographer, and seer of Queen Elizabeth I. He had a revelation
about angelic script and later recorded it. Sir Edward Kelley, his colleague,
also witnessed the revelation and recorded additional symbols called Keys or
Calls. Their legitimacy had been debated for centuries.

“Ah, I found it. What you have here is a Key.
Angel script is read left to right. These symbols together are sort of like a
prayer. A rough translation in English means, ‘Forever fallen is forever
damned, until one can unlock from within.’ I wish I knew where you found this.
The context would help cypher the meaning,” Doctor Nrogbi stated.

“Anyone have an inkling to what the passage
could mean?” Kim asked.

“I can only guess that fallen is either man,
as in Adam…or possibly angels, as in the Fallen that waged war with Satan
against God. He and all his angels were cast down and forever damned. However,
there is a loophole suggested-‘unlock from within.’ Don’t know, just a guess,”
answered Doctor Barry Lowenstein, an ancient comparative literature professor.

“Kim, you said you had a few more items to
show us. Can we see? The anticipation is gnawing away at all of us!” Sandra
exclaimed.

“Okay, I have a scroll that might be of some
interest,” Kim answered as she gingerly took it out of her purse and laid it
down on a long table. All the professors’ jaws dropped in astonishment. They
all hovered over the scroll, whispering theories of what it might be. Doctor
Nrogbi quickly grabbed his cell phone and began taking photos. The rest of the
professors followed suit.

“Tanned animal hide, probably lamb or ram, of
the highest quality for ancient times. This must be dated as far back as 500
B.C., maybe even a 1000 B.C. We need to carbon-date this. It’s in perfect
condition. What was this stored in?” Doctor Lowenstein questioned.

“It came in a box. I didn’t bring it with
me,” Kim replied, feeling suffocated and wanting to leave.

“We could use a combination of steam and
chemicals to remove the seal so that it doesn’t break. That way we could read
the scroll. Can you leave this with Sandra for the next couple of days?” asked
Doctor Litner, an art history professor and expert in document preservation.

Can you bring in the box? Can you take us to
where this was found? Can you leave this for display? Can we take this to the
Smithsonian? Can you, Can you, Can you...Kim’s head was about to explode. She
wasn’t about to disclose the ornate metal she still had in her purse.

“I’ll
call Sandra and we can do this another time. Thank you all for your help,” Kim
abruptly announced. She packed up her things and rushed out of the university.
Not paying attention, she almost got hit by a car. Once in her Lincoln
Navigator, she calmed down. Rush hour traffic on the Eisenhower Expressway gave
her time to process.

Review:Halo of the Damned is a book that will intrigue fans of dark angels and demon stories. Filled with enough raw horror to please any slasher fan as well, Halo introduces us to a fallen angel and his media empire. Enter our heroine, Joanna Easterhouse, who is just getting out of prison for a drug conviction. Faced with the difficulty of getting a job with a record, she takes the job at Evil Empire and thus beginsthe adventure.

This book had a lot of gory scenery. It does have a well developed and intricate plot that will entertain readers of multiple genres such as myself. There are a few points in the dialog that were a little stilted, and I had a hard time connecting with Joanna at first, but as I got to know the characters, the intricate nature of the relationships fleshed out and made the book a pulse pounding late night (with a flashlight)read.

There is romance, through the rituals, dismemberment and mysteries surrounding the Easterhouse family and what a fallen angel has to do with whatever secrets Joanna and Kim's mother may have been hiding.

This is a good read for anyone in the mood for a little angelic carnage.

3/5

Upcoming...

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Dina
Rae is a new author here to stay. As a
teacher, she brings an academic element to her work. Her three novels, Halo of the Damned, The Last Degree, and Bad Juju weave research and suspense throughout the plots. Her short story, Be Paranoid Be Prepared, is a prequel of sorts to The Last Degree, focusing on the James
Martin character. In the spring of 2013,
her latest novel, Halo of the Nephilim,
will be released. Dina also freelances
for various entertainment blogs.

Dina
lives with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs outside of Chicago. She is a Christian, an avid tennis player,
movie buff, and self-proclaimed expert on several conspiracy theories. She has been interviewed numerous times in
e-zines, websites, blogs, newspapers, and radio programs. When she is not writing she is reading novels
from her favorite authors Dan Brown, Anne Rice, Stephen King, Brad Thor, George
R.R. Martin, and Preston & Childs.

Samiya, born-into-shadow, is soon to battle her born-into-light brother.
Abandoned by their parents, neither wishes to play the preordained role of
beast and hero. When their loved ones are taken hostage, they are forced to
follow the path laid out in myth, culminating in a battle first fought six
thousand years ago in ancient Cairo. A mythic clash where one defeats the other
and both become gods.

To break free from their fates, Samiya and her brother must unravel a mystery
twisted by cults, greed, and magic. But myth is a powerful force and failure to
live up to it may not only destroy their lives but the lives of the ones they
love most.

When the phoenix dies, the only certainty is flames.

“Terrific! A successful blend of genres, complex and fascinating characters,
and loads of suspense make 24 Bones a must-read.” Nate Kenyon, bestselling
author of The Reach, Prime, Bloodstone, and The Bone Factory.

“'24 Bones' is a winning debut. It's
well-written and well-plotted, studded with drama, action, history and
mythology. There's even a little romance. The conclusion is thrilling with the
final outcome of the battle between good and evil held over until the very
end...leaving you guessing until that very last page.” SF Crowsnest.

In
Medias Res and Pain

The part most
writers often have to cut from their novels is the beginning. Often we start in
the wrong spot. The rule of thumb for a scene is to start it as late as
possible and end it as early as possible. You don’t want to write your way into
or out of a scene. Instead, start in medias res, in the middle. The same is
true to some degree for a book, which is a collection of scenes.

I had this problem
in 24 BONES. I cut 15,000 words from the beginning. That hurt. It pays to pay
attention in craft classes!

So what happened?
Readers need to relate to someone—hopefully your protagonist. They need an
‘Alice’ to go down the rabbit hole with, to learn along with, and to draw them
into the story. Think of role of Keanu in The Matrix. The woman in the movie
actually had a white rabbit tattooed on her. Keanu followed her right down the
rabbit hole and us with him. To bring readers along for the journey in 24
BONES, I felt I needed a North American ‘Alice’. So the novel actually began in
Toronto with David discovering the stele upon which is inscribed the prophecy
and more (forgive some of the writing that follows, it is an earlyish draft!).

The JetFuel latte from the local coffee shop cooled on the railing
that divided the living and sleeping areas of David’s bachelor apartment.
Carpet at one time white now stained ivory ran the length of the twenty by ten
foot space. Wine had spilled in a spray pattern beside a large cardboard box
stamped airmail, postmarked Egypt. A slim twenty-something with chocolate hair
and coffee complexion gasped as she tried to speak.

David, whose wine glass had toppled from his meaty hand when he
pulled books from the box, was far from speechless.

“What the fuck?” he cried. “Holy shit...do you know what this is?”

“Gold,” she stuttered over the ‘g’, eyes dancing over the bright
sheen.

“Yeah, gold,” he replied, running his fingers across the writing
stamped in it. David knew what this was worth and not just for the obvious
weight of precious metal. Miranda should too, being in her fourth year of her
Archeology degree. Demotic script was late in the scheme of ancient Egyptian writing
and it would take some time for him to decipher it, but he could and he would.
He flipped it over, Miranda shoved her hands beneath to catch it as if gold
could somehow shatter. More writing inscribed the back.

“Looks like a list,” he mumbled. Stele were often used as lists.
“What could be so valuable that you’d make a list inscribed in gold?”

Later I realized
that readers are smarter than that, my assumption was wrong, and decided I
could get to the real story a lot faster if I began the novel in Egypt. Instead
of having to slog through eight chapters of setup and throwaway action scenes,
24 BONES now opens in medias res. It’s four weeks until Akhet, the ancient
Egyptian lunar New Year, and the ascendance of the gods!

So, writers, before
you have to go and cut 15,000 words, be sure to consider whether you’re
starting the novel in the right spot!

About the Author:

After
crewing ships in the Antarctic and the Baltic Sea and some fun in venture
capital, Michael anchored himself (happily) to a marriage and a boatload of
kids. Now he injects his adventurous spirit into his writing with brief
respites for research into the jungles of Sumatra and Guatemala, the ruins of
Egypt and Tik’al, paddling the Zambezi and diving whatever cave or ocean reef
will have him. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers and SF
Canada, and the author of the Assured Destruction series, 24 Bones, The Sand
Dragon, Hurakan, Ruination and several award winning graphic novels for young
adults.

About Me

Dana Wright has always had a fascination with things that go bump in the night. She is often found playing at local bookstores, trying not to maim herself with crochet hooks or knitting needles, watching monster movies with her husband and furry kids or blogging about books. More commonly, she is chained to her computers, writing like a woman possessed. She is currently working on several children's stories, young adult fiction, short stories and is trying her hand at poetry. She is a contributing author to Ghost Sniffer’s CYOA, Siren’s Call E-zine in their “Women in Horror” issue in February 2013 and "Revenge" in October 2013, a contributing author to Potatoes! (upcoming), Fossil Lake, Undead in Pictures, Potnia, a funny ghost story anthology by Crushing Hearts Black Butterfly Press, Dark Harvest,Wonderstruck, Shifters: A Charity Anthology, Holiday Horrors and the Roms, Bombs and Zoms Anthology from Evil Girlfriend Media. Dana has also reviewed music for Muzikreviews.com specializing in New Age and alternative music and has been a contributing writer to Eternal Haunted Summer, Nightmare Illustrated, Massacre Magazine, Pagan Living Magazine, The Were Traveler October 2013 edition: The Little Magazine of Magnificent Monsters, the December 2013 issue The Day the Zombies Ruled the Earth. She currently reviews music at New Age Music Reviews and Write a Music Review.